Nick Calathes

Florida freshman Chandler Parsons has tried everything. Jump shots before practice. Jump shots after practice. Sneaking over to the O'Connell Center after the pregame meal Wednesday night, 2 1/2 hours before the Gators met Charleston Southern, just to take more jump shots. All that, and still ... "My 'three' ball isn't going down," Parsons said later Wednesday, after an 89-64 UF victory. "My 'J' is not falling like it always does. I'm in the biggest slump of my career." Maybe it is coincidence that said slump has come in the first two months of Parsons' life as a college player.

The postseason honors continue for Brandon Knight as speculation continues to swirl around his college choices. A day after learning he was the Gatorade National Boys' Basketball Player of the Year, the Pine Crest senior was named Florida's Mr. Basketball by the Florida Dairy Farmers. Knight, who earlier in the process was voted the state's Class 3A Player of the Year, edged out Winter Park's Austin Rivers, the 6A Player of the Year for the honor. Knight is expected to make an announcement about his college plans after playing in the McDonald's All-American game March 31 in Columbus, Ohio.

It comes as no surprise really that the national Gatorade Player of the Year in Brandon Knight also claimed the state of Florida?s top honor as the Dairy Farmer?s Mr. Basketball. Knight is only the fourth junior to achieve the honor in the 27-year history of the award. The Pine Crest guard finished first in the voting by an impressive 75 points margin over Gainesville?s Greg Gantt. Gainesville coach Kelly Beckham was named Coach of the Year, beating out Miami Coral Reef?s Gaston Rodriguez by 25 points.

Florida's newest star has no problem staring down the Gators' two-year NCAA Tournament absence. Freshman guard Kenny Boynton doesn't see a third consecutive National Invitation Tournament in Florida's future. "I think people don't see what we have here," Boynton said. "We'll definitely be in the tournament next year." The Gators must do some convincing on the national scene after losing top player Nick Calathes from a team that finished 9-7 in the Southeastern Conference, 25-11 overall.

Assist No. 10 for Nick Calathes was a feed to Jai Lucas for a fastbreak layup. He grabbed his 10th rebound with 16:06 left on the O'Connell Center clock. The 10th point happened last, 10 minutes later, on a left-handed layup he kissed off the glass. In a tournament that ranks a distant second this week, on a Good Friday night when Florida fans filled about half their team's home gym, Nick Calathes entered UF basketball lore. His 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists made him the second Gator to record a triple-double and served as the highlight in an 82-54 rout of Creighton.

For motivation in the locker room, Florida coach Billy Donovan sometimes lets his Gators know about the perception that they're soft. Does Alex Tyus believe it? "Uhhh ... we're getting better," the sophomore forward said. Florida's performance against Stetson on Tuesday didn't exactly breed toughness despite the 78-57 win. The Gators (11-2) gave up 20 offensive rebounds to a team with one starter above 6 feet 5. If the Hatters (5-5) weren't a cold 21 of 71 (29.6 percent) from the field, this could have been much closer.

Instead of talking about his team's 80-58 win over Toledo in Friday's season opener, Florida guard Nick Calathes spent time after the game saying he did nothing wrong. Six times. An internal investigation by the school's athletics department involving Calathes and the men's basketball team overshadowed the Florida Gators' full-court press on the O'Connell Center court. In light of an online report that surfaced Friday claiming Calathes had racked up a $600 online poker debt, Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley issued a statement before the game that the school conducted an internal investigation and no NCAA violations surfaced.

University of Florida standout point guard Nick Calathes is going pro. But not to the NBA. Calathes, a two-time Florida "Mr. Basketball, agreed to terms Friday to play for powerful Panathinaikos, the reigning Euroleague Basketball champion club based in Greece, according to sources close to the former Gators playmaker. Neither Calathes nor his family would comment on the development, pending announcements from Panathinaikos and UF. Gators coach Billy Donovan apparently was informed of his player's decision Friday night, with at least one source saying a contract was signed.

The last Gator left on the court, center Marreese Speights, never took his eyes off the O'Connell Center floor. He had given half-hearted congratulations to Tennessee big man Duke Crews, then started a slow walk toward a sad locker room. Behind him, a bit of bedlam ensued. Crews and teammate JaJuan Smith jumped up and down in the opposite corner of the arena, hugging, tossing their headbands to a few UT fans in the stands, celebrating another victory. For 40 minutes here Wednesday night, Speights' Gators and visiting Tennessee went punch and counter-punch with NCAA Tournament appearances and seedings up for grabs.

Florida's newest star has no problem staring down the Gators' two-year NCAA Tournament absence. Freshman guard Kenny Boynton doesn't see a third consecutive National Invitation Tournament in Florida's future. "I think people don't see what we have here," Boynton said. "We'll definitely be in the tournament next year." The Gators must do some convincing on the national scene after losing top player Nick Calathes from a team that finished 9-7 in the Southeastern Conference, 25-11 overall.

Nick Calathes weighs his options in flight miles. Just last week, the former Florida star was in Greece to meet, greet and finalize his two-year, $2.2 million deal with the Euroleague Basketball team Panathinaikos, based in Greece. This week, back-to-back-to-back-to-back NBA workouts await Calathes, from the Sacramento Kings to Houston Rockets to New Jersey to Oklahoma City. Conducting an interview from the Sacramento airport terminal, Calathes laid out his lucrative reality. At least one year in Greece is solidified.

As the Nick Calathes era at Florida came to an abrupt end last week, uncertainty looms as to who will lead the Gators to prominence. Florida coach Billy Donovan said at the SEC Spring Meetings that "there's definitely a problem" at point guard after Calathes, a two-time Florida "Mr. Basketball," agreed to terms with the professional team Panathinaikos out of Greece. Calathes will earn about $1.1 million plus incentives by bypassing the NBA Draft to play overseas. Calathes played two seasons with Florida as an all-SEC guard.

University of Florida standout point guard Nick Calathes is going pro. But not to the NBA. Calathes, a two-time Florida "Mr. Basketball, agreed to terms Friday to play for powerful Panathinaikos, the reigning Euroleague Basketball champion club based in Greece, according to sources close to the former Gators playmaker. Neither Calathes nor his family would comment on the development, pending announcements from Panathinaikos and UF. Gators coach Billy Donovan apparently was informed of his player's decision Friday night, with at least one source saying a contract was signed.

Eric Bledsoe's commitment to Kentucky last week hurt the Florida Gators deeper than just another recruiting loss to a Southeastern Conference rival. The point guard position at Florida could be demolished should Nick Calathes dip both feet in the NBA waters. Bledsoe, the 23rd-ranked player in the country, was supposed to be the insurance plan at the point alongside shooting guard Kenny Boynton, the incoming freshman from American Heritage in Plantation. Once leaning toward the Gators, Bledsoe simply "changed his mind" and wanted to stay closer to home, said Maurice Ford, Bledsoe's coach from Birmingham (Ala.

Nick Calathes can barely decide what to eat, let alone whether to go to the NBA just yet. The Florida guard scanned a fast-food menu recently and kicked around two possibilities before settling on a chicken Caesar wrap. Whether he returns to the Gators for a junior season will be a more calculated move, but Calathes said the next two months of individual workouts with NBA teams could change his life. "I've been confident all my life that I could play at the highest levels," Calathes said.

The Penn State Nittany Lions mascot breakdanced on the O'Connell Center floor between timeouts on Tuesday. Florida must have forgotten the steps, which isn't uncommon during this unfulfilled season. Penn State ended Florida's National Invitation Tournament run with better clutch play in a 71-62 quarterfinal win. The Gators (25-11) missed the chance to visit Madison Square Garden for the second straight season, while Penn State (25-11) will play in Tuesday's NIT semifinal in New York against the winner of tonight's Kentucky-Notre Dame game.

I'll be spending the next few days here at AmericanAirlines Arena covering the NCAA Regional, but just wanted to check in. We now know the Hurricanes basketball team will play Florida Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU in the second round of the NIT. Yeah, it's not the NCAA but still should spark some interest in the state. If anything, it gives fans a chance to see a matchup of two of the nation's top guards, Jack McClinton and Nick Calathes. Both players have NBA aspirations. McClinton, who broke free from a shooting slump with 25 points against Providence, is projected as a mid-second round pick in the June NBA Draft.

I'll be spending the next few days here at AmericanAirlines Arena covering the NCAA Regional, but just wanted to check in. We now know the Hurricanes basketball team will play Florida Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU in the second round of the NIT. Yeah, it's not the NCAA but still should spark some interest in the state. If anything, it gives fans a chance to see a matchup of two of the nation's top guards, Jack McClinton and Nick Calathes. Both players have NBA aspirations. McClinton, who broke free from a shooting slump with 25 points against Providence, is projected as a mid-second round pick in the June NBA Draft.